Mark Voloshin

Starting out as a dentist in Russia and Germany, Dr Voloshin soon found a way to combine his business savvy mind with the care and community spirit of the medical profession. His company, the Marvol Group soon grew to have interests across the globe, although dentistry and medicine always remained Dr Voloshin's first love - having lectured at countless universities, written many books, and contributed to various research projects.

Today, the main focus of Mark Voloshin lies in assisting South Africa in breaking the shackles of it's past and reaching it's full potential. Through it's ties with Russia, each country can learn from one another and become market leaders on the world stage. In this regard, Voloshin's Hazendal Estate not only produces some of Stellenbosch's finest wines, but also helps in spreading Russian culture and promoting the South African arts.

Mark Voloshin made his first visit to South Africa in 1985. In that time he was quickly able to see through the political unrest and recognise the potential and beauty hidden within the borders of the country.

Dr Voloshin felt close ties to the land, as it was in a similar space to one that Russia had already been in earlier. He thus felt obligated to help South Africa evolve into a prosperous and thriving nation.

Although he fell in love with South Africa, it was Cape Town's rich beauty and impeccable wines that especially captured Dr Voloshin's imagination and it lingered in his head long after his return to Russia.

Missing the wines and tastes of the Cape winelands, the business-savvy Mark Voloshin noticed a lucrative gap in the Russian market. Lacking quality wines, he returned to South Africa in 1986 to specifically establish the Marvol brand in the South African wine export market, and thriving business was soon to be born.

Showing true business know-how, Dr Voloshin spent some time searching for the perfect wine farm to purchase. Whilst searching, Dr Voloshin immersed himself in many other South African projects, including building more than 150 houses for mine workers and aiding the RDP in providing solar paneling to enhance the energy efficiency of schools in the Eastern Cape.

It was only much later that the Hazendal Estate in Stellenbosch finally matched all his requirements and Dr Voloshin knew he had found his perfect farm. He then wasted no time and became the first Russian wine estate owner in South Africa on the same day that the country voted in its first democratic leader - the 27th April 1994.